Why my dad is my favorite traveling companion

Today is the second Sunday of June which means that it is… Father’s Day! At least in Belgium it is. I am aware that in other countries you’re celebrating it on other dates, but in my tiny country, today is the day we’re celebrating the men with the awkward jokes and often weird sense of style who raised us.

My dad happens to be the master when it comes to the two aforementioned character traits, but I’ll happily take that because he’s also my favorite traveling buddy. And here are a few reasons why:

First big trips

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and well, in our case I’m probably still stuck to the tree. While the travel bug really got me while I was studying in Germany in 2012-2013, I have been so fortunate that my parents had already taken me to many places in Western Europe as a child. We have spent summers in France, Austria, Spain and Italy and while I might not have been that attentive to what was around me, I’m still grateful for what I saw and got to experience back then. And yes, I am sorry for not putting away my Gameboy while we were driving along beautiful coastlines and through amazing parts of nature…

But then my first time traveling outside the continent of Europe was also with my dad. And this time it was just me and my dad. Back in February 2014, we crossed the Atlantic Ocean and went on a five day citytrip to the city that never sleeps; New York. And it was thrilling from start to end. It’s a trip I’ll never forget and it was the first of many more.

Fast-paced travel is our thing

Up until now I haven’t found a single other soul in the world that can keep up with my fast-paced style of traveling (vacancies are still open!), except my dad. Guess who I’ve got it from, huh? While we certainly can enjoy whatever is in front of us, we’re always both eager to explore the next thing and see what’s around the corner and just out of sight.

When it comes to our interests, they’re also very much in line. We both love a good mix of cities and nature, but will always put a bit more focus on the nature part. We do love to see a museum every once in a while, but we also aren’t going to read every single piece of information or stare at all objects on display for the longest time. We like to keep everything within a low-budget and also feel more comfortable when we’ve got most of our itineraries planned. All of this makes planning a holiday so much easier. I blindly trust the guy to book flights and hotels and he’ll easily give me the same freedom. It just works.

However I must shyly admit that my friends have managed to turn me into a bit of a foodie the last couple of years, so that’s something my dad and I now disagree on. Before I was happy with any kind of food as long as it was quick and somewhat edible, while now I just love to sit down and enjoy a proper, delicious meal. Guess our next big trip will be a bit more interesting…

Big protective bear

I sheepishly admit to this, but having my dad around always makes me feel a whole lot safer. This means I get to visit places that I wouldn’t feel comfortable with on my own or with a bunch of girlfriends.

It’s not like he would be able to take on a gang of angry men or keep me save from all possible harm – sorry dad! – but just the presence of a father is just so reassuring.

Who needs an Instagram Husband…

When you have an Instagram dad!?

Okay, I must admit that it took some time and it still takes some nagging, but he does his very best to make sure I actually end up on a photo every once in a while. And they surprisingly even turn out good… on the seventh try. Patience is key!

We’re still working on his own selfie skills however…

Family bickering

But of course it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. We do have our typical father-daughter arguments on a whole lot of occasions, but then again I don’t think it’s possible to be around someone 24/7 and not bicker a bit every once in a while. It’s just part of it. But while traveling with a bunch of friends might test a friendship to the point where you can’t stand one another anymore – fortunately I haven’t been there yet -, my dad will always be my dad and no matter the arguments, we’ll always have each other’s back.

So yup, I’m totally a daddy’s girl and traveling with my dad is one of the most fun thing to do. And it’s a win-win as I get to travel more often the way I want to without having to go on my own and he gets to see a part of the world my mom would never even consider to venture out into.

So while we don’t have any concrete trips planned in the near future, I do hope we’ll always keep exploring the world together. It’ll be harder to plan now that I’ve moved out of their home into my own place, but I’m certain we’ll make it work. Because we always do.